The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a major civil rights law pr
ohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in the private and stat
e and local government sectors. The ADA requires access to programs and ser
vices, transportation, the built environment, employment, and communication
. Under the ADA, the Board develops and maintains accessibility guidelines
for the construction and alteration of facilities covered by the law, as we
ll as guidelines for the design of transportation vehicles. These guideline
s serve as the basis of standards used by other agencies to enforce the ADA
's design requirements.